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108th out of 296 books
—
64 voters
Desire Lines
by
Jack Gantos
Sixteen-year-old Walker has discovered something potentially scandalous—two of his female classmates are having an affair. It is a secret he has no problem keeping to himself . . . until it comes to protecting his own reputation.
“It is difficult to close Desire Lines without the overpowering feeling that evil’s caretaker can very well be an average young man who lacks the...more
“It is difficult to close Desire Lines without the overpowering feeling that evil’s caretaker can very well be an average young man who lacks the...more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
March 21st 2006
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
(first published 1997)
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Desire Lines is a very complex story and it is definitely one that sticks with you, one you want to talk about after you read it. It also proves once again, that Jack Gantos is one of the best writers out there.
Walker is a young man living in Fort Lauderlade, FL, he seems to be kind of a loner, an average student, a sad kind of guy. But maybe part of that sadness is because he is telling the story after all of the events in the book have happened. It would be hard to happy after living through a...more
Walker is a young man living in Fort Lauderlade, FL, he seems to be kind of a loner, an average student, a sad kind of guy. But maybe part of that sadness is because he is telling the story after all of the events in the book have happened. It would be hard to happy after living through a...more
Monday, January 21st, 2011, I was sitting in my Honors Geometry class during Quiet Time (Transcendental Meditation). I needed some book to read. I asked my friend, Ivan, if he have any book that he could loan me. He has two in hand: "The Catching Fire" and the "Desire Lines." I chose "Desires Lines" since it's not a mainstream book that people in my school would often read. I read the synopsis and already, I got engaged.
The book has the element of realism in it, not only it's an engaging book,...more
The book has the element of realism in it, not only it's an engaging book,...more
I love almost everything Jack Gantos has ever written, Hole in My Life changed my life and I was so happy to have the opportunity at ALA this year to tell him so, but I was surprised to find this novel that broke my heart. It's a dark tragedy about the cruelity of high school, homophobia and how evil can arise out of inaction and peer pressure.
Here is a spoiler, but I have to say this. Number one I am uncomfortable with men writing about teen girl sex. Two, the suicide pact at the end between t...more
Here is a spoiler, but I have to say this. Number one I am uncomfortable with men writing about teen girl sex. Two, the suicide pact at the end between t...more
myeah...I so expect THINGS from Mr. Gantos. This came nowhere close--too short, no role models, shallow undeveloped characters. I disliked myself momentarily for tsk tsking the author, but then I realized it was HIS book for heaven's sake! He could have done so much more. I don't know if I've evolved to being able to read homophobic novels and not emotionally react. I DO react. That being said, I could have taken this book perhaps with a bigger dose of good development. Way too shallow.
Persecution over sexuality is a difficult subject to approach, and this book does not do it well. The protagonist is presumably supposed to be some kind of rebel, but basically comes across as a whining spoilt brat. The ending was predictable and didn't really evoke any kind of response from me at all. Maybe the book needed to be longer to include more to make the reader care about the characters. I wouldn't recommend this unless you're really stuck for something to read.
It took me a little bit at the beginning to decide if I liked this book, but by the time I got to the end, there was no question. It's rare to see a teen book with such a realistic narrator: a high-school sophomore catches two of his female classmates secretly dating, and rather than tell them, he keeps the secret to himself--until the rest of the school, led by a creepy Preacher Kid moving in across the street, starts accusing him of being gay. Sure, sounds very realistic, but usually there's t...more
Hated this book. Didn't like the topic or the characters. Didn't think it was very well-written or believable. And where were the adults? The only adults were bad guys. No caring, concerned mature people. This idea, "witch-hunts" for homosexuals, could be and has been done much better.
Interesting in its prospects, but not well executed. Definitely disturbing at points, but not in a way that most readers will find particularly moving, I think. This was kind of a let-down.
First off I just have to say that I love the idea of a "desire line" being a straight line to what you want. I can't decide whether I should give it 3 or 4 stars. It is similiar to other books I read as a teen like "On My Honor" (living with a secret and a death in the book) or "The Chocolate War" (where the dark part of society wins). I think it should be a choice in English Lit. classrooms when those other books are read. It's not likely to though because of the GLBQT aspect. Sad because stude...more
This book talks about how people are being closed minded and judgmental about the third sex, that the people belonging in that category are too pressured to be bound by what most people see as "morally right". Because of this pressure, they can't express themselves openly, making them feel like they have a tarnished personality, and that they're resented and unwelcome to the society which leads them [the people in the third sex]to think of suicide as an escape.
Mar 13, 2007
Steven
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone
Shelves:
read-recently,
eng-619-ya-lit
This is a good book by Gantos. Maybe a little mediocre... Not as good as Hole In My Life or Love Curse of the Rumbaghs. Those two are way cool (OMG+ factor)... a must read for teens or anyone!
CUTTING EDGE AND AHEAD OF ITS TIME, A MUST-READ.
8/23/06
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Jack Gantos is an American author of children's books renowned for his portrayal of fictional Joey Pigza, a boy with ADHD. Gantos has won a number of awards, including the Newbery Honor, the Printz Honor, and the Sibert Honor from the American Library Association, and he has been a finalist for the National Book Award. His newest book, The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs (2006), deals with twins, euge...more
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